This articwe needs to be updated. In particuwar: de protests are stiww described in de present tense. Pwease update dis to refwect recent events or newwy avaiwabwe information, uh-hah-hah-hah.(January 2019)

The protests were initiated by independent activists, but has since been endorsed and supported by Hamas,[21] as weww as oder major factions in Gaza. Originawwy pwanned to wast from 30 March (Land Day) to 15 May (Nakba Day) but has continued weww past dat date. Five tent camps were set up 500 to 700 metres (1,600 to 2,300 ft) from de border and were to remain dere droughout de campaign, uh-hah-hah-hah. In de first event on 30 March, dirty dousand Pawestinians participated in de protest.[22] Comparativewy warger protests have been hewd on Fridays, 6 Apriw, 13 Apriw, 20 Apriw, 27 Apriw, 4 May, and 11 May—each of which invowved at weast 10,000 demonstrators—whiwe smawwer numbers attend activities during de week.[23][24]

Most of de demonstrators at de tent camps hundreds of metres from de border demonstrated peacefuwwy, and Peter Cammack, a fewwow wif de Middwe East Program at de Carnegie Endowment for Internationaw Peace argued dat de March indicated a new trend in Pawestinian society and Hamas, wif a shift away from viowence towards non-viowent forms of protest.[25] Neverdewess, groups consisting mainwy of young men did approach de border, rowwing burning tires towards de fence to provide smoke screens, and awso drowing stones and Mowotov cocktaiws in de direction of Israewi troops.[26][27][28][29][30] In Apriw, Pawestinian began waunching kites bearing incendiary devices over de border fence, causing property damage on de Israewi side.[31][32] Israewi officiaws said de protests were used by Hamas as cover for waunching attacks against Israew.[33] Senior Hamas officiaw Mahmoud Aw-Zahhar, admitted in an interview to Aw Jazeera "when we tawk about 'peacefuw resistance', we are deceiving de pubwic. This is a peacefuw resistance bowstered by a miwitary force and by security agencies, and enjoying tremendous popuwar support."[34][35]

At weast 110 Pawestinians were kiwwed between 30 March to 15 May,[36][20] a number of whom have been members of various Pawestinian miwitant organizations; at weast 40 of dose were kiwwed in de course of de protests.[37][22][38][23][39] Israewi sowdiers fired tear gas and wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[40] According to Robert Mardini, head of Middwe East for de Internationaw Committee of de Red Cross (ICRC), from more dan 13,000 Pawestinians have been wounded (as of 19 June 2018), de majority severewy, wif some 1,400 struck by dree to five buwwets.[41] No Israewis were physicawwy harmed from 30 March to 12 May, den one Israewi sowdier was reported as swightwy wounded on 14 May,[9] de day de protests peaked, when 59 or 60 Pawestinians were shot dead at twewve cwash points awong de border fence,[42] when Hamas cwaimed 50 of dem as its miwitants[43][44] and Iswamic Jihad cwaimed 3 of de 62 kiwwed as members of his miwitary wing.[45] Some 35,000 Pawestinians protested dat day, wif dousands approaching de fence.[46][47]

In 2005, Israew widdrew its forces from de Gaza Strip and awwowed de Pawestinian audority to take controw. Despite de widdrawaw, Israew stiww maintains direct externaw controw over everyday wife in Gaza, such as de territory's air and maritime space, most of its wand crossings, ewectricity and water suppwy and oder utiwities.[59][60][61] According to HRW, Pawestinians in Gaza stiww remain protected persons under de articwes of de Geneva Conventions. [42]

After de 2014 Gaza war, de humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened. Hamas has struggwed to manage de civiw wife in de Gaza Strip, and de new weadership under Yahya Sinwar has hoped to get de Fatah-wed Pawestinian Audority to take controw of Gaza's civiw issues, drough de 2017 Fatah–Hamas Agreement, but de agreement faiwed. According to Israewi anawyst Amos Harew, Hamas, which faiwed to wift de bwockade for years, sought to use de protest as a means to get out its strategicaw crisis, as it found an armed confwict to be ineffective.[62]
The Gaza Strip, measuring 41 kiwometers (25 mi) wong, and from 6 to 12 kiwometers (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, wif a totaw area of 365 sqware kiwometers (141 sq mi)[63][64] and wif a popuwation of 1.9 miwwion, is one of de most densewy popuwated pwaces in de worwd.[65] It is often described as de "worwd's wargest open-air prison".[66] The territory has a continuous shortage of food, water, power and medicine. In tawks wif Angewa Merkew, Israewi PM Binjamin Netanyahu stated dat de Pawestinians were crashing de fence because dey were 'suffocating economicawwy', a situation he bwamed on Hamas.[67]

Near Gaza Strip's border wif Israew in 2018

In January 2018, it was reported dat 97% of de territory's tap water was undrinkabwe because of sewage powwution or high sawinity wevews, forcing Gazans to purchase water from wocaw desawination faciwities at excessive prices.[68] The Pawestinians are unabwe to pay Israew for de ewectricity it provides and, as a resuwt, Gazans receive ewectricity onwy for to four hours a day as of 2017[69] which impairs de functioning of Gaza's heawf services.[70] The Gaza Strip's unempwoyment rate reached 44% in 2017 (71% for women, 36% for men).[71] It is reported dat, 40% of Gazan chiwdren suffer from anemia and mawnutrition.[72] The despair from de economic and humanitarian situation, awong wif de inabiwity to weave de territory has furder contributed to pubwic support and participation in de protests.[73][74]

Gaza's "no-go zone" and border barrier

In wate 2005, after de Israewi disengagement from Gaza, de Israewi miwitary imposed a "no-go zone" on de interior side of de Israew-Gaza border in response to rocket fire from Gaza fawwing on Israewi towns.[75] This zone restricts Pawestinians from entering "about 17 percent of Gaza's territory, incwuding a dird of its agricuwturaw wands", according to HRW.[49] According to IDF, dis is done "to prevent de conceawment of improvised expwosives and to disrupt and prevent de use of de area for destructive purposes."[76]

The border fence between Gaza and Israew (de separation barrier) is composed of a crude barbed-wire barrier, a brief gap, and den a 10 feet (3.0 m) high "smart fence" wif sensors to detect infiwtrators. A crowd surging towards de fence couwd cross de fence in some 30 seconds according to one of de contractors who buiwt it.[77]

Protest organization

The principaw demand of de protests is de right of return for Pawestinian refugees and deir descendants to present-day Israew. A majority of Gaza's popuwation consists of refugees from de 1948 Pawestine War and deir descendants.[26] Israew has rejected any right of return, fearing dat Jews wouwd become a minority in Israew if too many Pawestinians returned.[78]

In 2011, Ahmed Abu Ratima (or Rteima) whose famiwy originawwy came from Ramwe, conceived de idea of Pawestinians going peacefuwwy to de separation barrier and protest for deir right to return to de homes from which dey had been driven, or had fwed, in de past.[79]

In earwy 2018, Gazan journawist Mudana aw-Najjar, whose famiwy originawwy haiwed from Sawama, pitched a tent near de border, where he stayed for over a monf, whiwe oders began pwanting owive tree seedwings in de area.[80] He and oders tried to keep de protest unaffiwiated wif Hamas or any oder powiticaw group, but were overruwed when Hamas took over de protest by mass mobiwization of Gazans to join de march. Recruitment incwuded cawws on tewevision, wocaw media, sociaw media and by word of mouf to join de protest. Hamas reportedwy pwanned to keep de peace by having its security personnew dress in civiwian cwodes and move among de protesters to ensure no viowence wouwd occur.[81] It gained support from Gazan intewwectuaws wike Atef Abu Saif and graduates of Gazan universities, who are said to have drawn inspiration from de exampwe of Martin Luder King and Mahatma Gandhi.[82]

The organizers of de event, incwuding de wocaw government audority, Hamas and various Pawestinian factions, had encouraged dousands of Pawestinians to converge on de Israewi border for de 42nd anniversary, in what was dubbed de "Great March of Return".[84] Whiwe muwtipwe factions have endorsed de protests, dey have aww participated under de shared symbow of de Pawestinian nationaw fwag.[85]

Timewine

Prior incidents

In February 2018, four IDF sowdiers were injured by an expwosive device conceawed in a Pawestinian fwag pwaced on de Gazan border fence during a Pawestinian protest.[86][87]

On 25 March, de IDF fired some ten Iron Dome missiwes to intercept what de IDF sensors interpreted to be rockets, but which water turned out to be high-trajectory machine-gun fire during Hamas miwitary exercises conducted in Gaza, which earwy reports said was directed towards Zikim.[88][89][90][91][92]

In de week prior to 30 March, de IDF arrested a suspect who crossed into Israewi territory from nordern Gaza; 2 Pawestinians were seen near de now-defunct Karni crossingcontainer port trying to set fire to army engineering eqwipment cwose to de border fence; a group of four Pawestinians infiwtrated Israew near Kissufim; and 3 Gazans, armed wif grenades and knives, crossed de border and were captured some 20 kiwometers (12 mi) from de border, near Tze'ewim.[93][94]

30 March

The first protest took pwace on 30 March, during de Land Day. Some 30,000 Pawestinians took pwace in de protests[28] which were waunched from five tent camps dat were set up 500 to 700 metres (1,600 to 2,300 ft) from de Israew–Gaza barrier,[95] near de 300 metres (980 ft) no-go zone imposed by Israew. The majority of de demonstrators in de encampments were away from de border security and did not engage in viowence.[26] Hundreds of young Pawestinians, however, ignored warnings issued by de organizers and de Israewi miwitary to avoid de border zone.[96] When some Pawestinians began drowing stones and Mowotov cocktaiws, Israew responded by decwaring de Gaza border zone a cwosed miwitary zone and opening fire at dem.[26] The events of de day were some of de most viowent in recent years.[97] In one incident, two Pawestinian gunmen approached de fence, armed wif AK-47 assauwt rifwes and hand grenades, and exchanged fire wif IDF sowdiers. They were kiwwed and deir bodies were recovered by de IDF.[98][99][100]

That day, 15 Pawestinians were kiwwed by de IDF, in addition to one farmer who was kiwwed apparentwy by artiwwery fire in de morning prior to de protests. The IDF said a tank fired at two men who "acted suspiciouswy" near de border fence and did not confirm one of dem was kiwwed.[28] The profiwe of de 15 men who were kiwwed by de IDF was a subject of debate. The IDF pubwished an infographic wif de pictures of ten of dose kiwwed, saying dey were members of miwitant-terrorist organizations, of de seven were Hamas miwitants and activists, one was a "gwobaw jihad activist" and one was a member of de aw-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades miwitant group. Some of dem appear in miwitary uniform in deir pictures.[98] Hamas, however, said dat onwy five of its members were kiwwed dat day,[101] and one of de men de IDF said was a Hamas operative, was a member of de aw-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, according to de organization itsewf.[102] According to de IDF, among dose Hamas confirmed were its members were a company commander and an operative in Hamas' tunnew warfare project.[98] Three oder Pawestinians who were shot on 30 March succumbed to deir wounds in de next days. One of dem was a member Pawestinian Iswamic Jihad. The organization said he was unarmed when he was shot.[103][104]

One notabwe casuawty, and an exampwe of dis debate, is a 19-year-owd Pawestinian who was seen in footage[citation needed] from de protest being shot in his back whiwe howding a tire and running away from de fence. The IDF said he was a member of Hamas,[98] a cwaim Hamas did not confirm[101] and his famiwy denied, stating he was a restaurant worker. The IDF described de footage was "edited and fabricated".[98] His funeraw did not invowve de honors usuawwy given to swain Pawestinian fighters.[105] Anoder 20-year-owd man was shot, according to his broder, in de head, whiwe smoking a cigarette whiwe standing behind a group of stone drowers.[106]

Disagreement exists awso about de number of dose injured dat day. According to de Gaza Heawf Ministry, over 1,400 Pawestinians suffered injuries. According to various Pawestinian medicaw sources, around 800 were wounded wif wive ammunition, whiwe de remaining were injured by rubber-coated projectiwes and tear gas. The IDF, on de oder hand, estimated onwy a few dozens were injured wif wive fire.[107][108][109]

Protests continued on a wower scawe droughout de week fowwowing de 30 March events. The IDF continued to fire at Pawestinians awong de border fence.[110] A video was pubwished in sociaw media on Sunday, 2 Apriw, showing a 19-year-owd man among a group of protesters, pwacing a tire on anoder burning tire, to make it catch on fire, den waving his hands in cewebration, uh-hah-hah-hah. He is den seemingwy shot in de head by Israewi sowdiers. Pawestinian sources reported he was criticawwy wounded.[111][112]

During de week of 30 March 2018, two Pawestinians were kiwwed in two different incidents. In de first, a Pawestinian member of de Democratic Front for de Liberation of Pawestine (DFLP) was shot by Israewi forces after he breached de fence and entered Israew. The IDF pubwished a video from an observation camera, showing de man hitting de fence wif what seems to be a metaw pipe when four oder peopwe stand behind him. He den breaches de fence and enters awong wif anoder man, which is when warning shots were probabwy fired. The video cuts before de man was shot and it is uncwear in what circumstances was he shot and kiwwed.[113] In anoder incident, an Israewi aircraft attacked an awwegedwy armed Pawestinian who approached de fence.[114] The IDF pubwished a video from an observance camera, showing de man wawking swowwy towards de fence, howding what appears to be an assauwt rifwe. The army awso said he was eqwipped wif grenades and a suicide vest. The incident took pwace before dawn, uh-hah-hah-hah.[115] In addition to dese events, on 1 Apriw de IDF arrested four unarmed Pawestinians who entered into Israew iwwegawwy.[116]

6 Apriw

Protest organizers and Hamas cawwed for renewed demonstrations on de Israew-Gaza border de fowwowing Friday, 6 Apriw. The IDF stated dat it intended to use de same force as de preceding week to prevent infiwtrations of Israewi territory.[117]

Between 31 March and 6 Apriw, demonstrators gadered tires in Gaza to be burnt on 6 Apriw, in preparation for what was dubbed de "Day of de Tire" (Arabic: Jumat aw-Kawshook)[118][119][120] Israewi officiaws have cautioned dat de mass burning of tires awong de border can produce environmentaw harm, cawwing on de Worwd Heawf Organization to prevent, what dey termed, an "ecowogicaw catastrophe".[120]

Thousands of Pawestinians joined in 6 Apriw demonstrations; de IDF estimated deir number at 20,000 peopwe.[121] Pawestinian medicaw sources reported dat 9 Pawestinians were kiwwed, 1,350 were injured, and 25 were in criticaw condition; and dat approximatewy 400 of dose injured were hit by wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[122][123] Anoder Pawestinian who was shot in dat day succumbed to his wounds on 9 Apriw.[124][125]

Among dose kiwwed was Yaser Murtaja, a 30-year-owd Pawestinian photographer, who, according to Pawestinian Heawf Ministry, was shot in de stomach by an Israewi sniper despite wearing a jacket embwazoned wif 'press' to identify him as a journawist. According to de Pawestinian Journawists' Syndicate, seven oder Pawestinian journawists were injured by de Israewis during dat day's protest.[123] Israewi Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said in response dat "anyone who fwies drones over IDF sowdiers puts himsewf at risk."[126] According to Israewi security sources, Murtaja was an officer in Hamas security apparatus and attempted to smuggwe a drone to Gaza in 2015.[127] Hamas, as weww as Murtaja's famiwy, denied de awwegation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[128] In addition to Murtaja, five oder journawists were injured on 6 Apriw, according to de Committee to Protect Journawists: five from wive fire and one from a shrapnew.[129]

8 Apriw

On de evening of 8 Apriw, according to de IDF, dree Pawestinians infiwtrated de fence in de Nordern Gaza strip, pwanted two expwosive devices, and den qwickwy returned to Gaza. The IDF fired at de Pawestinians wif tank fire.[130]

9 Apriw

In de earwy morning of 9 Apriw, de IDF said it attacked a miwitary compound bewonging to Hamas in de nordern Gaza strip in response to de attempted infiwtration wif expwosives. The IDF said Hamas "is sowewy responsibwe for what is happening in de Gaza Strip from above and bewow de ground".[131]

11 Apriw

On de morning of 11 Apriw, Pawestinians set off a bomb near an Israewi construction vehicwe adjacent to de Gaza fence. The IDF fired tank shewws at positions dat it said bewonged to Hamas.[132]

12 Apriw

On 12 Apriw, Israewi aircraft attacked Hamas targets in de nordern Gaza Strip in retawiation for de previous days' bomb attack cwose to de border fence. Hamas fighters east of Shuja'iyya targeted de aircraft wif machine gun fire, and severaw of de buwwets feww on a home in Israew. An Israewi airstrike targeted dem, kiwwing one Hamas fighter and wounding anoder. The Hamas fighter who was kiwwed was identified as Mohammed Hamada Hijiwa. It was subseqwentwy reported dat he had taken part in an infamous raid on an Israewi border post in which five Israewi sowdiers had been kiwwed during de 2014 Israew-Gaza confwict.[133][134][135]

Iswam Hirzawwah, who was hit by wive ammunition to de abdomen, uh-hah-hah-hah.[136][138]

Tahrir Mahmoud Wahba, who is deaf, was fatawwy wounded, and died on 23 Apriw.[139]

Ahmed Abu Hussein, a photojournawist wearing a protective vest marked 'press,'[140] was awso fatawwy wounded and died in Sheba Hospitaw in Tew HaShomer on 25 Apriw, after being transferred for treatment.[141]

The Gaza Ministry of Heawf reported dat 969 peopwe were injured by Israewi forces, among dem were 67 chiwdren, and 223 peopwe hit by wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah. Fifteen of de peopwe sustaining wive-fire injuries were in criticaw condition wate on 13 Apriw.[142]

15 Apriw

The IDF said it destroyed a tunnew dat crossed de Gaza-Israew border.[145]

16 Apriw

Additionaw fire bomb kites were fwown from de Gaza strip. One kite started a fire dat burned a wheat fiewd on de Israewi side of de border.[146]

20 Apriw

Protests on Friday, 20 Apriw, have been wabewed de "Women's March of Gaza" and were intended to highwight de active rowe women are pwaying in de protest.[147] The IDF estimates dat 10,000 peopwe participated in protests.[148] At weast four Pawestinians were kiwwed on 20 Apriw,[149] among dem a 15-year-owd boy, and over four dozen were injured by Israewi sowdiers.[150] Anoder Pawestinian water died of wounds sustained dat day.[151] Before de expected protests, de IDF dropped weafwets over Gaza Strip warning anyone against approaching de fence or attempting to damage it.[152]

Five Pawestinians were fatawwy shot on by Israewi wive fire on 20 Apriw.

Mohammad Ayoub of Aw Fawouja neighborhood in Jabawia refugee camp, was fatawwy shot in de head.[153] His broder and cousin, who were eyewitnesses to his shooting, stated dat Ayoub was sitting on de ground, den ran to escape de effects of tear gas, at which time he was shot.[154] Ayoub was de fourf Pawestinian chiwd to be kiwwed during de protests.[154]

Ahmed Abu Aqew, 25, of Jabawia. Abu Aqew was shot a previous demonstration over US recognition of Jerusawem as de capitaw of Israew in December 2017. He wawks on crutches due to de injury and was on a sand dune 150 meters from de fence at de time of his shooting, according to de non-profit organisation Aw Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza. Israewi forces fatawwy shot him to de back of de head.[155]

Ahmed Aw Adamna, 24, of Beit Hanoun, was fatawwy shot by buwwet to de upper back, according to Aw Mezan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[155]

Sa'ad Abu Taha was fatawwy shot in de neck in eastern Khan Younis. He was approximatewy 100 meters from de border, according to Aw Mezan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[155]

Abduwwah Shamawi was injured by a buwwet to his abdomen east of Rafah, and died on de night of 22–23 Apriw.[156]

27 Apriw

According to Israewi miwitary estimates, over 10,000 peopwe gadered to join de day's protest, demed de "Day of Rebewwious Youf."[158][23]

For de first time in de five-week campaign, protesters reached de ewectrified border fence, having passed a smawwer barbed wire barrier; Israewi sowdiers fired shots and drew a hand grenade at a group of twewve men cwimbing de fence, hitting severaw in de head.[159] A warge crowd (de IDF reported "severaw hundred"; The New York Times, "dousands") of peopwe rushed toward de Karni border crossing, after a speech by Hamas weader Ismaiw Radwan, uh-hah-hah-hah. The IDF waunched tear gas and opened fire wif wive ammunition at de crowd, injuring severaw peopwe.[23][159] Israewi miwitary sources state dat at weast two armed Pawestinians, among de warge crowd, approached de border and fired at weast seven rounds at Israewi sowdiers. According to The New York Times, retawiatory Israewi fire, which incwuded a hand grenade, wounded two unarmed protesters.[159]

The Gaza Ministry of Heawf initiawwy reported dat dree Pawestinians were kiwwed, aww of dem by buwwets to de head.[160] Two more Pawestinians water died of wounds suffered on 27 Apriw. Overaww, Pawestinian reports stated dat 884 protesters had been wounded, some 174 by wive Israewi fire.[161] Four medicaw staff and six journawists were among dose wounded.[158]

On de night of 27 Apriw, de Israewi Air Force attacked six targets in de Port of Gaza bewonging to Hamas navaw commando forces, injuring four peopwe. The Israewi army said it was responding to "terror acts and de major attempt to infiwtrate de border into Israewi territory earwier in de day."[164]

29 Apriw

Three separate incidents awong de fence occurred during de evening of 29 Apriw between de IDF and Pawestinians.[165] In de first incident, de IDF said dat two men "attempted to infiwtrate" Israew from de soudern strip, one was kiwwed and de oder captured after being wounded. In de second incident, de IDF said dat two men who had crossed de fence "hurwed expwosive devices" at IDF sowdiers before dey shot and kiwwed dem.[166] In a dird incident, two Pawestinians wif breaching toows and knives were arrested whiwe attempting to breach de fence.[165]

2 May

A firebomb kite waunched from Gaza caused a warge fire in de Be'eri Forest, burning hundreds of dunams of woodwand. Ten firefighter teams toiwed to extinguish and contain de forest fire.[32]

4 May

Protesters organized for 4 May as de "Friday of de Pawestinian Worker," in honor of Internationaw Workers' Day earwier in de week.[167] Israewi officiaws estimated dat 10,000 peopwe participated in de protests.[24] Shortwy after noon, confrontations began between protesters, who drew stones, burned tires, and waunched fwammabwe kites, and Israewi sowdiers, who fired tear gas and wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[167]

By evening, medicaw officiaws estimated dat 1,100 protesters were injured, incwuding 82 shot wif wive ammunition, and 800 suffering from de effects of tear gas.[167][24] Two off-de-shewf drones used by IDF were shot down by Pawestinian swingshots.[24] Protesters entered and damaged property used by Israewi forces at Kerem Shawom border crossing; Israewi officiaws said de property was on de Pawestinian side of de border. The damage incwuded burning a pipewine dat Israew uses to suppwy fuew to Gaza.[24][168]

Pawestinians had prepared hundreds of firebomb kites, intending to fwy dem as swarms into Israew expwoiting de heavy heat wave to ignite fires, however since de wind was bwowing in de wrong direction to de west. The wind awso bwew tear gas and smoke from burning tires westwards into de Pawestinian crowd chasing many away.[169]

5 May

Six Hamas operatives were kiwwed in an expwosion in Deir aw-Bawah. A statement by Hamas' miwitary wing bwamed Israew – stating dat it was a "heinous crime dat has been committed against [its] fighters". The IDF spokesperson stated dat "de IDF is not invowved in dis incident in any way". A Pawestinian, a source for Haaretz, said dat it was "an expwosion resuwting from de handwing of expwosives inside a buiwding".[170]

The IDF struck a Hamas outpost in nordern Gaza which was used to waunch burning objects at Israewi territory. Maj Avichai Adraee tweeted "Attack kites are not a kids' game and we don't see it dat way. Hamas is using you [Gazans] and is pushing you toward de circwe of terrorism," whiwe Shai Hajaj, head of Merhavim Regionaw Counciw in soudern Israew, said "When de courts in Jerusawem are discussing petitions from weft-wing organizations to tie de hands of de sowdiers standing in front of de Gaza protesters who want to break drough de fence, de arson continues in de fiewd of farmers... We demand dat de IDF stop dis [Pawestinian] viowence immediatewy".[171]

6 May

Three Pawestinians were kiwwed at de soudern end of de Gaza border fence. According to de IDF, dey were carrying petrow bombs, an ax, wire cutters, an oxygen mask and gwoves.[172]

7 May

Incendiary bawwoons waunched from de Gaza strip set fire to a wheat fiewd near Mefawsim and to de Be'eri Forest. Simiwar to de firebomb kites, de incendiary bawwoon wofted an awready-wit Mowotov cocktaiw. The normawwy prevaiwing westerwy winds propew de bawwoons to Israew, and de burning Mowotov cocktaiw causes de bawwoons to expwode in midair, wif burning materiaw fawwing to de ground bewow.[173]

It was reported by Haaretz dat Hamas found itsewf in an "unprecedented" crisis and "dire" situation, and attempting to enter negotiations wif Israew about estabwishing a wong-term truce in order to ease de siege of de encwave, and wower tensions, widout, as far as it is known, obtaining any cwear response from Israew. The Israewi rewuctance might, according to defense correspondent Amos Harew, wead to an expwosion of rage on de fordcoming occasion of Nakba Day.[174]

11 May

15,000 demonstrators took part in Friday protests on 11 May. Some of dem burned tires, in de hope de smoke wouwd provide cover for saboteurs to destroy and cross de border fence, and drew grenades, pipe bombs and stones at Israewi troops. A 40-year-owd Pawestinian was kiwwed and 973 were injured, seven of dem criticawwy. The IDF used new, smaww remote-controwwed aircraft wif knives on deir wings to counter incendiary kites waunched from Gaza, downing more dan 40 kites.[175]

Pawestinians broke into de Kerem Shawom border crossing, de main conduit of goods in and of de strip, setting a gas pipewine awight, damaging a fuew pipe, and torching a conveyor bewt.[176] The Israewi air force destroyed an underground attack tunnew dat reached just a few meters away from de border.[176]

12 May

Israew announced dat de Kerem Shawom border crossing "wiww remain cwosed untiw de damage caused by de riots are repaired and wiww reopen in accordance wif a situation assessment," opening onwy for humanitarian cases untiw such a decision is made.[176]

13 May

Israewi sowdiers fired at Pawestinians approaching widin 75 feet (23 m) of de fence. Awaa Asawafiri, a 26-year-owd woman who was part of a group of women shouting towards de fence, was shot in de stomach and hospitawised in criticaw condition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[177]

14 May

Protests and viowence on 14 May coincided wif de ceremony marking de rewocation of de U.S. embassy to Jerusawem, which internationaw media regarded as de reason for increased tensions.[178] Bof events were timed to mark 70 years since de foundation of Israew.[179]

During de protests, de IDF used wive fire, weading to 52 Gazan fatawities and injuring more dan 1200 (according to Gaza heawf officiaws), making it "de bwoodiest day in Gaza since de end of de 2014 war."[180] By de end of de day, at weast 60 Pawestinians were reported to have been kiwwed,[181] when Hamas cwaim 50 of dem as its miwitants,[43][44] and Iswamic Jihad cwaimed 3 members of its miwitary wing.[45] Pawestinian sources said dat about 2700 were injured.[179][182] Some of dose who were kiwwed or injured incwuded heawf care workers providing medicaw care to de protesters.[183][184] One of de wounded subseqwentwy died on 13 August.[3]

The Israew Defense Forces (IDF) reported dat during de day, a Hamas sqwad attempted to breach de border fence wif Israew. Aww eight attackers were kiwwed by Israewi troops in de exchange of gunfire.[185]

The IDF said dree of dose kiwwed had attempted to pwant expwosives at de border fence, and dat in two incidents Israewi troops opened fire after dey were shot at.[186] The IDF Air Force attacked five Hamas targets in a Jabawia training camp in response to de attempt at pwanting expwosives and shooting at IDF troops.[187] Israew said dat "Most of de peopwe kiwwed bewonged to de Hamas terror group, and some to de Pawestinian Iswamic Jihad" and dat "at weast 24" of de peopwe kiwwed were water identified as known members of terrorist organizations .[188] One Israewi sowdier was wightwy wounded by what was bewieved to be a Pawestinian stone.[187]Likud's Avi Dichter reassured de Knesset dat he was not concerned about any possibwe breach of de border fence since "de IDF has enough buwwets for everyone."[189]

Hamas powiticaw bureau member Sawah aw-Bardawi said dat 50 of de 62 kiwwed in de protests from 14 to 15 May were Hamas members – adding dat dese were "officiaw numbers", dough he did not specify wheder dey were members of Hamas' armed or powiticaw wing.[190][191][192] Speaking to CNN, a Hamas spokesman, Abdew Latif Quanau, said he couwd not confirm or deny dese numbers, and dat "The protests are peacefuw and incwude aww powiticaw and miwitary factions."[193]Amira Hass, an Israewi journawist for Haaretz, received aw-Bardawi's statement wif skepticism saying dat one her friends in Gaza towd her dat "dis [figure of 50] is anoder typicaw exaggeration of ours".[194] Iswamic Jihad said dree members of its Saraya aw-Quds miwitary wing were among dose kiwwed. An Iswamic Jihad officiaw said dose kiwwed were unarmed and participating in a wegitimate protest.[195]

A spokesperson for de United Nations Human Rights Commission, Rupert Cowviwwe, cawwed de kiwwings an "outrageous human rights viowation" by Israew.[196]Zeid Ra'ad aw-Hussein, de United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said "dose responsibwe for outrageous human rights viowations must be hewd to account".[196] Numerous countries expressed concern wif de kiwwings, incwuding Russia, France, Germany, and de UK.[179] Germany, de UK, Irewand, and Bewgium cawwed for an independent inqwiry.[197] The United States said de deads were tragic and pwaced responsibiwity on Hamas, stating dat Israew has de right to defend its borders.[198] Souf Africa widdrew its ambassador to Israew, citing "de indiscriminate and grave manner of de watest Israewi attack".[199] Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing Turkish students in London in a speech broadcast by Turkey's state tewevision, said dat Turkey wouwd recaww its ambassadors from Israew and de U.S, and said dat Israew's action against Pawestinian protesters was "genocide".[200][201][202]

15 May

Protest organizers decwared a day of mourning for dose kiwwed on de prior day.[204] Fewer peopwe attended protests at de border. One protestor was kiwwed, according to de Gaza Heawf Ministry.[204]

16 May

Severaw houses in de Israewi city of Sderot were hit by machine gun fire from Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.[205] Israew said Hamas curbed Gaza protests after pressure from Egypt.[206]

22 May

A group of Pawestinians crossed de border fence on 22 May and set fire to an abandoned IDF post near Bureij. Fowwowing de incident, IDF tanks fired at a Hamas post in de area of de incident.[207][208]

25 May

Some 1,600 Gazans attended de weekwy Friday protests in two wocations on 25 May. In one of de wocations, dozens of youf reached wess dan 300 meters from de fence and burnt tires. East of de Gaza city reached de fence and tried to open it. The IDF Spokesperson's unit reported Pawestinians drew an improvised expwosive device towards sowdiers. The IDF responded to de events wif crowd-controw means and wive ammunition, hurting at weast 109 Pawestinians, ten of whom from wive ammunition, according to medicaw sources in Gaza. Firebomb kites were awso fwown by de Pawestinians towards Israew and were shot down by Israewi sowdiers. Ismaiw Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar visited one of de protest camps.[209]

1 June

The Gaza Ministry of Heawf stated dat 100 protesters were injured, 40 wif wive ammunition, and dat among de casuawties, a young femawe woman paramedic Razan Ashraf aw-Najjar,[210] dressed in medicaw staff uniform was shot dead by snipers who had opened fire on a group of five paramedics as dey moved to assist wounded demonstrators near de fence. Numerous protests continued, Israewi firefighters were cawwed in to douse fires on deir side of de border, tires were burned, some attempts were made to damage de border fence, miwitary vehicwes were fired on and one infiwtrator entered Israew set off a grenade and returned to de Strip.[211][212]

22 June

On de afternoon on 22 June, an estimated 7,000 participants protested at de border. By evening 200 peopwe had suffered injuries, incwuding 8 minors.[213]

29 June

On 29 June, Yasser Abu aw-Najja died of wounds to de head near eastern Khan Younis, whiwe Muhammad Fawzi Muhammad aw-Hamaydeh died of wounds to his stomach and wegs east of Rafah.[214] According to de Gaza Ministry of Heawf, furder 415 suffered injuries, from gunfire or tear-gas inhawation, wif 3 in a criticaw condition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[215]

6 Juwy — 15f March of Return

3,000 Gazans took part in de reguwar Friday protest. 396 were injured, 57 by wive fire.[216] Zahadia Haniyeh (38), a niece of Hamas weader, Ismaew Haniyeh, was reportedwy shot in de stomach, whiwe Mohammed Abu Hawima (22) was shot dead wif a buwwet wound to de chest.[216][217]

13 Juwy

Two youds, Odman Rami Hawas and Muhammad Nasser Sharab were kiwwed by Israewi wive fire, de former near eastern Gaza City, de watter near in eastern Khan Younis. During de day's demonstrations, a furder 68 to 200 Gazans were reportedwy injured.[218][219]

An IDF officer was wounded by a hand grenade dat was hurwed at him by Pawestinian assaiwants during cwashes at de border fence.[220][221]

14 Juwy

2 Pawestinians were kiwwed in an Israewi airstrike and 4 Israewis were wounded by mortar fire from Gaza in what has been haiwed as "de most severe exchange of fire between Israew and Pawestinian miwitants in de Gaza Strip since de 2014 war" commenced on Saturday night, and continued droughout most of de day.[222] According to an IDF spokesman, "Saturday's operation aimed to stop arson attacks, attempted border breaches, and assauwts on sowdiers from Gaza dat have grown increasingwy viowent."[223] Hamas and awwied Iswamic miwitant groups fired 100-174 projectiwes from Gaza into Israew, one mortar struck a synagogue in Sderot.[222][224]

16 Juwy

Israewi news media outwets announced dat, in response to Firebomb kites fwown by Gaza miwitants, de Israewi government wiww temporariwy suspend dewiveries of gas and petrow drough de Kerem Shawom border crossing into Gaza, and wiww awso wimit off-shore fishing to hawf de previous maritime wimit, in a bid to restore order.[225][226] Food and medicinaw suppwies wouwd, however, be awwowed to pass drough de crossing.[227]

Pawestinians outfitted a fawcon wif a harness wif a fwammabwe materiaw strung at de end of a steew wire and sent de bird across de border to start a fire in Israew.[228]

20 Juwy

4 Pawestinians were kiwwed and an estimated 120 Gazans were injured, incwuding a 14 year owd wif a buwwet shot to de head [229][230]

Pawestinian snipers fired and drew a number of expwosives at Israewi troops during protests awong de border fence in soudern Gaza Strip,[231] kiwwing an Israewi sowdier wif a buwwet to de chest.[7][232][233] In response de Israewi army retawiated wif air attacks and tanks fire aimed at eight miwitary Hamas posts east of Khan Yunis and near de soudern Rafah, as resuwt 3 Hamas miwitary wing members were kiwwed in de exchange of fire.[231][234] Then Israewi Air Force expand its air strike raising de deaf toww to four.[235][236][237] Fowwowing de strikes, 3 rockets fired into Israewi communities around Gaza, two projectiwes intercepted by Iron Dome and anoder feww in open fiewd.[238] United Nations Speciaw Coordinator for de Middwe East Peace Process Nickoway Mwadenov tweeted "everyone in Gaza needs to step back from de brink. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Right NOW! Those who want to provoke Pawestinians and Israewis into anoder war must not succeed."[239] According to Hamas, dere was a ceasefire agreed upon afterwards, but Israew did not comment.[240][241]

21 Juwy

Severaw Pawestinian infiwtrators crossed de border fence into Israew, den returned to Gaza's territory.[242] An IDF tank fired at a Hamas post in nordern Gaza in response.[243][244]

27 Juwy

2 Pawestinians, Majdi Ramzi Kamaw aw-Satri and Ghazi Muhammad Abu Mustafa were shot dead wif buwwets to de head, resdpectivewy east of Rafah and east of Khan Younis. A furder 246 were reportedwy injured. Three paramedics among de injured sustained moderate wounds, at eastern Jabawiya.[245]

3 August

8 Pawestinians were reportedwy shot, east of Khan Younis in de 19f March, which was conducted under de swogan of "Martyr of Jerusawem, Muhammad Youssef," a 17 year owd kiwwed earwier.[246]

7 August

Israew kiwwed two Hamas members in Gaza on 7 August. Hamas said dat de two men were snipers taking part in an wive-fire exercise in Gazan territory. Israew stated dat de gunmen fired on its sowdiers and an Israewi tank shewwed dem in response.[247]

8 August

Gaza miwitants fired rockets into Israew and de Israewi miwitary responded wif air strikes on 8 August.[248]The Washington Post reported dan 180 rockets and oder rounds of munition were fired into Israew wif de Israewi air force firing at about 150 targets in de Gaza Strip. A pregnant Pawestinian woman and her daughter, a toddwer, were kiwwed.[249]

10 August

Abduwwah Aw-Qatati, a Pawestinian medic, died after being shot in de head by a sniper. Ahmad Jamaw Abu Luwi died after being shot in de pewvis. Awi Said aw-Awouw was de dird fatawity in de shootings. 307 Pawestinians were reportedwy injured, 70, incwuding 28 chiwdren, 5 paramedics and 2 journawists, were wounded by wive fire, 5 criticawwy. One attempt was made to cross de border, and a grenade was reportedwy drown, uh-hah-hah-hah.[250][251]

17 August

241 Pawestinians were reportedwy wounded, some 40 by wive fire. 18 minors were among dose injured. Two Pawestinians were shot dead one identified as Karim Abu Fatayir east of aw-Bureij refugee camp and de oder identified as Saadi Akram Muammar east of Rafah. [252]

24 August

189 Pawestinians were reportedwy injured, 50 by wive ammunition, and de oders by rubber-coated steew buwwets or tear-gas inhawation, uh-hah-hah-hah. 73 were hospitawized.[253]

12 October 2018

Seven Pawestinians were kiwwed in viowent protests awong de border fence, in a continuation of de "March of Return" protests. According to de IDF, "The rioters are burning tires and are hurwing rocks, expwosive devices, firebombs and grenades at IDF troops and de security fence".[254] The demonstrations were arranged by Hamas, wif de aid of speciaw units formed to expand de protests. Four Pawestinians were shot dead after dey crossed into Israewi territory and approached a sniper's post.[255]

Casuawties

According to Aw Mezan as of October 2018, over 150 Pawestinians have been kiwwed in de demonstrations, incwuding 30 chiwdren, one woman, two journawists, dree paramedics, and dree persons wif disabiwity. At weast 10,000 oder Pawestinians have been injured, incwuding 1,849 chiwdren, 424 women, 115 paramedics and 115 journawists. Of dose, 5,814 were hit by wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[citation needed]

One Israewi sowdier has been injured due to shrapnew from a grenade drown by a Pawestinian from inside Gaza and one Israewi sowdier has been kiwwed by Pawestinian sniper fire near de fence.[256]

The head of WHO's office in Gaza, Gerawd Rockenschaub, described de casuawties as overwhewming an awready weak heawf care system: "de deteriorating humanitarian situation is extremewy worrying. Hospitaws in Gaza are overwhewmed wif de infwux of injured patients. Wif furder escawations expected during de coming weeks, de increasing numbers of injured patients reqwiring urgent medicaw care is wikewy to devastate Gaza's awready weakened heawf system, pwacing even more wives at risk."[257] According to de Ministry of Heawf in Gaza, 69 ambuwances were partwy damaged.[4]

Doctors Widout Borders reweased a statement on 14 May 2018 cawwing de Israewi response "inhuman and unacceptabwe" saying dat de hospitaws in Gaza were overwhewmed and in a chaotic situation comparabwe to de 2014 Israew-Gaza confwict. It stated dat "most of de wounded wiww be condemned to suffer wifewong injuries".[258]

HRW observers stated, wif regard to 30 March, "whiwe some protesters near de border fence burned tires and drew rocks, Human Rights Watch couwd find no evidence of any protester using firearms or any IDF cwaim of dreatened firearm use at de demonstrations." The organization said dere is evidence of Pawestinians who did not pose any dreat to Israewi guards being shot.[49]B'Tsewem said dat "shooting unarmed demonstrators is iwwegaw and de command dat awwows it is manifestwy iwwegaw."[50]

On 29 Apriw, wif de deaf toww at 44 an Israewi officer stated dat most of de deads were unintentionaw, dat de snipers aimed for de wegs but sometimes missed, or de buwwets ricocheted or de protesters suddenwy bent over.[259][better source needed]

Characterization of de injuries caused by Israewi fire

The Commissioner Generaw of de United Nations Rewief and Works Agency for Pawestine Refugees in de Near East (UNRWA) stated dat de ammunition used by Israew caused severe internaw damage to internaw organs, muscwe tissue and bones. A Pawestinian doctor interviewed by CNN stated dat about a hawf of de wounded peopwe wouwd never wawk normawwy again, uh-hah-hah-hah. The head of pwastic and reconstructive surgery at Shifa Hospitaw in Gaza wrote a wetter to The British Medicaw Journaw stating dat "from de appearance of de wounds dere appears to have been systematic use by Israewi Defence Force snipers of ammunition wif an expanding 'butterfwy' effect.", and stated dat since de surgicaw procedures and rehabiwitation faciwities are not avaiwabwe in Gaza due to 2014 confwict and de bwockade of Gaza, "mass wifewong disabiwity is now de prospect facing Gazan citizens, wargewy young." The Israewi miwitary stated dat dey onwy used normaw sniper ammunition, and fired at de feet and wegs to minimize civiwian casuawties.[260][261]

According to Amnesty Internationaw, who interviewed miwitary experts and a forensic padowogist, "many of de wounds observed by doctors in Gaza are consistent wif dose caused by high-vewocity Israewi-manufactured Tavor rifwes using 5.56mm miwitary ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah. Oder wounds bear de hawwmarks of US-manufactured M24 Remington sniper rifwes shooting 7.62mm hunting ammunition, which expand and mushroom inside de body. The nature of dese injuries shows dat Israewi sowdiers are using high-vewocity miwitary weapons designed to cause maximum harm to Pawestinian protesters who do not pose an imminent dreat to dem."[256]

Kiwwing of medicaw personnew

There have been severaw accusations of Israew attacking medicaw personnew. On 18 Apriw, de Pawestinian human rights organization Aw-Haq accused Israew of shooting at civiwians who were providing medicaw assistance to de wounded.[262]

A Canadian doctor, Tarek Loubani, was one of 19 medicaw personnew shot on 14 May. He stated dat he was cwearwy marked, and bewieved dat he was targeted by de Israewi miwitary. One of de paramedics who treated Loubani was kiwwed water on de same day. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "appawwed" at de shooting of Loubani and cawwed for "an immediate independent investigation to doroughwy examine de facts on de ground – incwuding any incitement, viowence, and de excessive use of force".[264][265]

In June 2018, Pawestinian nurse Razan aw-Najjar was fatawwy shot in de chest as she, reportedwy wif her arms raised to show she was unarmed,[266] tried to hewp evacuate de wounded near Israew's border fence wif Gaza.[267]

Oder notabwe casuawties

An eight-monf-owd chiwd, Leiwa aw-Ghandour was widewy reported, fowwowing an initiaw statement by de Gaza Heawf ministry, to have been a victim of tear-gas at de border.[268] The fowwowing day, de Gaza Heawf Ministry announced dat it wasn't certain of de cause of deaf and two weeks water struck her name off de officiaw wist of peopwe kiwwed during de protests.[269][270] In a court case against a Fatahaw-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades miwitant, who had been captured on de border, de indictment stated dat man in qwestion was a rewative of de deceased's parents, and had stated de watter had been paid by Yahya Sinwar, de head of Izz ad-Din aw-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, about US$2,200 to report to de media dat she had died of tear gas inhawation rader dan from a pre-existing medicaw condition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[269][271]

Prevawence of miwitants among de kiwwed

Israewi defense sources have maintained dat a warge fraction of dose kiwwed are members or oderwise affiwiated wif Pawestinian miwitant organizations. According to Israew de viowent protests provide cover for attacks by miwitants.[272][273]

On 11 Apriw, de miwitary-affiwiated Israewi Intewwigence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) pubwished a report in which it stated dat 26 of de 32 persons kiwwed bewonged to or were affiwiated wif Pawestinian groups which de ITIC described as terrorist organizations.[274][275] The report identified dirteen of dese as bewonging to de miwitary wings of dese organizations, and six as members of de Gaza security forces. ITIC describes dese identifications as "based on sources of varying rewiabiwity."[276]

On 8 June, ITIC stated dat it had identified 124 of de 127 Gazans reportedwy kiwwed in demonstrations since March. The center reported dat 102 of de fatawities were affiwiated wif eider de miwitant or civiwian wings of Fatah, Hamas, PIJ, de DFLP, or de PFLP, groups which dey stated were terrorist organizations. [277]

Economic impact

As of earwy June, roughwy 5,000 dunams of Israewi crop fiewds were burned by firebomb kites waunched from Gaza, wif an estimated economic woss of US$1.4 miwwion,[278][279] in addition to 2,100 dunams of Jewish Nationaw Fund forests in de area and 4,000 to 5,000 dunams in de Besor Forest Nature Reserve.[280]The New York Times reported one of its journawists sighting "vast stretches of scorched earf," wif "wosses to Israewi agricuwture from fwaming kites [being] immense."[281]

Legaw cases

Two Pawestinians, Yousef Karnaz and Mohammad Aw-Ajouri, each had to have one of deir wegs amputated after Israewi audorities denied deir reqwests to receive medicaw treatment at a better-eqwipped hospitaw in de West Bank. Israewi audorities issued a statement cwaiming dat "The main consideration for de refusaw stems from de fact dat deir medicaw condition is a function of deir participation in de disturbances."[282]

The Israewi Arab minority rights organization Adawah and Aw Mezan petitioned de Israewi Supreme Court to grant an emergency hearing to consider de reqwest on 12 Apriw, but as de Court decided to give de Israewi government dree days to respond and due to dis deway, doctors were forced to amputate deir wegs.[282][283]

On 15 Apriw, four Israewi human rights organizations, Yesh Din, Gisha, HaMoked, and de Association for Civiw Rights in Israew jointwy petitioned de Israewi Supreme Court to revoke de ruwes of engagement used by de IDF in response to de protests. They argued dat "dere is no prohibition on demonstrating in Gaza and dat if incidents of viowence or attempts to cross de fence occur during demonstrations, dey awone constitute civiw disturbances of de peace. In such disturbances, de waw permits wive fire onwy in cases of immediate mortaw danger."[284] In response, de Israewi government refused to discwose its ruwes of engagement pubwicwy, but said dey "compwy wif Israewi waw and wif internationaw waw."[285] The government indicated dat it views de protests as "part of de armed confwict between de Hamas terror organization and Israew, wif aww dat dis impwies." On 24 May 2018, de Supreme Court rejected de petition, ruwing dat de protests were not unarmed protests but a part of an armed confwict which were used as a cover to carry out terror attacks against Israew and risk Israewi wives.[286]

On 16 Apriw, de Supreme Court ruwed dat Karnaz must be awwowed to exit Gaza to receive medicaw treatment in de West Bank to save his remaining weg.[287]

Investigations

On 5 Apriw, de IDF announced dat its Soudern Command wouwd conduct an internaw investigation into de deads of civiwians during de prior week.[288] Brigadier Generaw Moti Baruch was appointed to wead a second government investigation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[289] Press reports indicate dat Baruch's investigation wiww focus on incidents which appear to have a cause for inqwiry.[289]

Tactics

Pawestinian tactics

Observers from de Internationaw Rescue Committee and de UN Office for de Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported dat de majority of protesters acted nonviowentwy on 30 March[100] and 6 Apriw.[122] Protest camps are set up 700 metres (2,300 ft) from de border. Protest actions near de camps have been warge, diverse in participation, and peacefuw.[290] protesters at de camps are engaged in a sit-in protest organized around deir tents. Each tent is wabewed wif de town or viwwage from which its occupants were expewwed.[147] On bof of de warger protest days, hundreds of primariwy young men have approached or entered de 300-metre excwusion zone decwared by Israewi miwitary forces, drown stones, hurwed Mowotov cocktaiws, and attempted to pwant Pawestinian fwags.[122][100] A New York Times account describes de purpose of approaching de fence as "a powerfuw statement of defiance, bravery and nationaw pride" among Pawestinians.[291]

Pawestinian protesters have used burning tires to obstruct de sightwines of Israewi snipers and T-shirts and masks to protect demsewves from tear gas.[121] Pawestinians erected earden embankments near de 300 m (980 ft) mark to try to shiewd dose furder away from Israewi fire.[52] Tent encampments awwow protesters to sweep, eat, and wive on site. These spaces have hosted rewigious gaderings, weddings, and often have a festive atmosphere.[292][291] Protest organizer, Ahmad aw-Najjar, has described de motivation as fowwows: "we are trying to practice a normaw wife here, I bewieve it is our right to do so."[292]

The Israewi miwitary accused Hamas of using de protests as a guise to waunch attacks against Israew, and warned about furder reprisaws.[33] Israewi sources said dat Hamas is forcing bus companies to transport peopwe to de border for 6 Apriw protests.[117] Hamas offers payments to famiwies of Pawestinians who are wounded or kiwwed during dese events.[293]

A Hamas spokesperson promised US$3,000 to de rewatives of dose kiwwed, whiwe Pawestinians who were injured by Israewi troops wouwd get $200 to $500 in compensation, depending on de injury.[294] Israewi powiticians repeated deir accusations dat Hamas utiwises protesters as human shiewds.[117] The United States' Speciaw Representative for Internationaw Negotiations Jason Greenbwatt stated, wif regards to de pwanned 6 Apriw protest, dat "[dey] condemn weaders and protestors who caww for viowence or who send protestors – incwuding chiwdren – to de fence, knowing dat dey may be injured or kiwwed".[295]

Whiwe de IDF has not pubwicwy discwosed its ruwes of engagement, press reports indicate dat sowdiers are permitted to shoot armed Pawestinians widin 300 metres (980 ft) of de fence and unarmed Pawestinians widin 100 metres (330 ft).[291] The IDF has stated dat its sowdiers are advised to first fire warning shots, den wounding shots, before taking fataw shots.[291] On 6 Apriw, de IDF used industriaw-sized fans to disperse de smoke and den water cannons in unsuccessfuw attempts to douse fires from burning tires.[53]

Worwdwide protests

Protests, expressing sowidarity wif de protesters and condemning de use of wedaw force by Israewi forces, have appeared across Israew, de US, de UK, and Austrawia. Thousands of protestors gadered in Tew Aviv, Washington D.C., Boston, London, Manchester, Sheffiewd, Bristow, and Mewbourne.[297][298][299][300]

Awong wif 250 oders at a Tew Aviv protest, Michaew Sfard, a human rights wawyer and powiticaw activist, was qwoted as saying: "As an Israewi, my duty is to protest against de eviws dat are done in my name."[297] On 2 Apriw, "hundreds"[cwarification needed] of Israewis gadered in Tew Aviv, Jaffa, and Yad Mordechai to protest de IDF's use of deadwy force against de Pawestinians on Gaza border. In Yad Mordecha, near de Israew-Gaza border, protesters had banners reading "Free Gaza," "Stop de Massacre", and "Gaza is Dying".[301]

In Boston, Massachusetts, eight protestors, who chained demsewves to de exterior door of de Israewi Consuwate, were arrested by powice for being a disorderwy person, disturbing de peace, and trespassing.[298]Naturei Kartaanti-Zionist protesters joined some dousands in London, UK, to show sowidarity wif Pawestinians.[299]

Reactions

States

The escawation of viowence in Gaza concerned de entire Arab worwd. Jordan and Egypt condemned Israew's use of force, considering recent devewopments as harmfuw to brokering peace.[302] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israewi Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged heated remarks over de border cwashes; Erdoğan wabewed de Israewi response an "inhumane attack" amid growing internationaw criticism of de Israewi miwitary.[303] Erdoğan accused Israew of committing a "genocide," cawwed Israew a "terrorist state".[304] In response to anti-Israewi comments and actions by Erdoğan, de Knesset discussed de possibiwity of recognizing de Armenian Genocide.[305]

On 15 May, British Prime Minister Theresa May said, speaking awongside Turkish President Erdoğan, dat "There is an urgent need to estabwish de facts of what happened yesterday drough an independent and transparent investigation, incwuding why such a vowume of wive fire was used and what rowe Hamas pwayed in events."[320] U.S. Ambassador to de UN, Nikki Hawey, said dat "Anyone who truwy cares about chiwdren in Gaza shouwd insist dat Hamas immediatewy stop using chiwdren as cannon fodder in its confwict wif Israew."[307]

Supranationaw organisations

Arab League: The Arab League condemned de continuous discrimination and viowence against peacefuw Pawestinian protesters, upon Saudi Arabia's reqwest, de Organization hewd a summit on de 17f of May in its Headqwarters in Cairo on a Ministeriaw wevew to discuss a proper response to de continuing human rights viowations done by Israew. [321]

EU: On 4 Apriw, de European Union expressed deep awarm over "de use of wive ammunition by Israewi Security Forces as a means of crowd controw," and cawwed on Israew to investigate every deaf and prosecute de perpetrators where appropriate.[322]

Internationaw Criminaw Court: On 8 Apriw, Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor for de Internationaw Criminaw Court, issued a pubwic warning to Israewis and Pawestinians dat, "viowence against civiwians – in a situation such as de one prevaiwing in Gaza – couwd constitute crimes under de Rome Statute of de Internationaw Criminaw Court ("ICC" or "de Court"), as couwd de use of civiwian presence for de purpose of shiewding miwitary activities."[323][324]

UN: UN Secretary-Generaw, Antonio Guterres, observed dat de situation "underwines de urgency of revitawizing de peace process aiming at creating de conditions for a return to meaningfuw negotiations."[19] Speaking to de UN Security Counciw in a meeting on de situation in de Middwe East, Nickoway Mwadenov, UN Speciaw Coordinator for de Middwe East Peace, said dat Gaza was about to "expwode" and cawwed for "actions to prevent anoder war."[325]Zeid Ra'ad aw-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned use of "excessive force" by Israewi and said dat security forces had to be "hewd to account."[326]

Ewizabef Throsseww, a spokesperson for de United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said dat de use of deadwy force was wargewy unjustified, since such force may onwy be used as a wast resort when dere is an imminent dreat of deaf or serious injury. "An attempt to approach or cross de green-wine fence by itsewf certainwy does not amount to a dreat to wife or serious injury dat wouwd justify de use of wive ammunition," de office said.[53][327] The United Nations Speciaw Rapporteur for de Pawestinian territories echoed de argument and stated: "The kiwwing of demonstrators in viowation of dese ruwes, and widin de context of occupation, may amount to wiwwfuw kiwwing, a grave breach of de Fourf Geneva Convention, as weww as a war crime."[328]

NGOs

Amnesty Internationaw: On 27 Apriw, de organization cawwed for worwdwide arms embargo on Israew for its "disproportionate response" to de protests.[326]

The Israewi waw center Shurat HaDin fiwed a compwaint in de Internationaw Criminaw Court against Hamas weaders Khawed Mashaw, Saweh aw-Arouri, and Zahar Jabarin for de use of chiwdren as human shiewds in de confwict awong de border based on a cwause in de Rome Statute dat prohibits recruitment of chiwdren under de age of 15 to a miwitant organization, uh-hah-hah-hah. According to Shurat Hadin Director Nitzana Darshan-Leitner "The deaf of a 15-year-owd boy near de Gaza border wast week was a direct resuwt of de war crimes committed by Hamas weaders against deir own peopwe".[329]

Individuaws

On 8 Apriw, Defense Minister of Israew Avigdor Lieberman said: "You have to understand, dere are no innocent peopwe in de Gaza Strip. Everyone has a connection to Hamas. Everyone receives a sawary from Hamas. Those who are trying to chawwenge us at de border and breach it bewong to Hamas' miwitary wing."[330]

On 15 May, Israew's ambassador to de UK, Mark Regev, said Israew "did everyding we couwd" to avoid de bwoodshed at de border wif Gaza. He towd BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We use wive fire onwy in a very measured way, in a very surgicaw way and onwy when dere is no awternative."[331]

Retired British Cowonew Richard Kemp said it was not a peacefuw demonstration, but "a dewiberate and specific intent by terrorist organizations to penetrate de State of Israew and kiww civiwians and de IDF has no option except to use wedaw force to stop such a dangerous dreat."[332]

The Prime Minister's Arabic-wanguage spokesman Ofir Gendewmantweeted, in response to a video showing a fwag wif a swastika wying between two Pawestinian fwags, "Hamas terrorists have pwanted today right on de Gaza-Israew border dis Nazi fwag which was fwying [between] Pawestinian fwags. Hamas proudwy decwares dat its aim is to annihiwate Israew & de Jewish peopwe. The genocidaw message has been received. We wiww defend our country."[334]

Israewi historian Zeev Sternheww wrote, "de weekwy kiwwing on de Gaza Strip border is a campaign of barbarism, exposing de mentawity of de society in whose name de army acts: We can do anyding we wike."[335]

Five former IDF snipers, assisted by Breaking de Siwence, pubwished a wetter expressing "shame and sorrow" for de kiwwings and stating, "instructing snipers to shoot to kiww unarmed demonstrators who pose no danger to human wife is anoder product of de occupation and miwitary ruwe over miwwions of Pawestinian peopwe, as weww as of our country's cawwous weadership, and deraiwed moraw paf."[336]

American cowumnist Peter Beinart, refwecting on de succession of incidents marking de Land Day protests of 2018, wrote dat Pawestinians were rushing towards Israewi snipers because deir wand was fast becoming "uninhabitabwe", wif de UN predicting it wouwd be unwiveabwe by 2020.[337]

Senior fewwow at de Counciw on Foreign Rewations, Ewwiott Abrams said, "The weaders of Hamas view de citizens [of Gaza] as cannon fodder who are usefuw for de gwobaw media strategy, and from dat point of view, Hamas weaders are happy when peopwe die because dey dink it wooks good on European TV screens."[339]

Criticism of media coverage

The area of de confwict is subject to intense monitoring. On de Israewi side of de border, IDF observers watch fiwm and videotape events wike de protests by avaiwing demsewves of tewescopes, wong wenses, and feeds from de cameras, drones, qwadcopters and tedered surveiwwance bawwoons hovering over de sites.[340][57] Israewi journawists were not permitted by de IDF to approach de area of confwict, but kept two kiwometres (1.2 mi) away.[55] Awmost from de outset, journawist Isabew Kershner observed dat de March had given rise to a "war of words" between de invowved parties.[56]

Surveying de media reaction just after de events of 14 May, Haaretz noted dat de events were covered extensivewy, wif de viowence in Gaza juxtaposed wif de opening of de US embassy in Jerusawem. The headwines focused on de deaf toww in Gaza and de pictures were spwit between Pawestinian protesters wounded and kiwwed, togeder wif pictures of de opening ceremony in Jerusawem. Souf African media skipped de embassy opening and focused on de pictures from Gaza.[341]

In de aftermaf of de confwict, de way a number of mainstream newspaper outwets, incwuding The New York Times, covered de events has become de object of anawysis, criticism and chawwenge.[57][58] The powiticaw scientistNorman Finkewstein takes exception to what he perceives to be The New York Times portrayaw of de March as one in which de protests were described as "armed confrontations in which Israewi snipers return de fire of protesters," notwidstanding de fact dat human rights NGOs have stated de demonstrations were "overwhewmingwy peacefuw." In particuwar, he mentions articwes by David Hawbfinger, who was embedded among de Israewi snipers.[57][281]

An IDF spokesman, Brig. Gen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Ronen Manewis, wrote for de Waww Street Journaw dat de worwd's media had fawwen for what he said was "a weww-funded terrorist propaganda operation" consisting of wies crafted to win "de internationaw propaganda war." The protests were staged, de demonstrators paid actors, and Hamas orchestrated de viowence to capture de headwines. "If," he concwuded, "I need to wie wike Hamas, den I prefer to teww de truf and wose."[342] The IDF sociaw media chief, Lt. Cow. Jonadan Conricus dought dat graphics from de Pawestinian side of de border had awwowed Hamas to win a PR battwe "by a knockout," and attributed de resuwt to an Israewi faiwure to minimize Pawestinian casuawties.[343] Likewise, reacting to events just after de first March, retired brigadier-generaw Shwomo Brom decwared: "I categorize what happened as a faiwure. The Pawestinian aim was to raise internationaw consciousness, and to put de Pawestinian issue back on de internationaw and Israewi agenda. It succeeded."[56]

Veteran Israewi war correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai compwained dat Hamas had won de media battwe partiawwy because de IDF kept wocaw journawists away from de border, dereby hindering Israewi journawists from documenting "de crowds of Gazans sent by Hamas to commit suicide on de fence." Whiwe massive video reportage was avaiwabwe on de Pawestinian side of de fence, de IDF onwy provided de press wif a "din drizzwe" of visuaw evidence, consisting of severaw dozen uncwear images and short cwips taken from its security camera coverage of de zone.[55] Critics wike Shehada, Stern-Weiner and Finkewstein wonder why, given its visuaw and video intewwigence, de IDF did not buttress its cwaims over armed Hamas activity by providing footage.[57][58]

^Hawbfinger, David M. (15 Apriw 2018). "Hamas Sees Gaza Protests as Peacefuw – and as a 'Deadwy Weapon'". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Archived from de originaw on 20 Apriw 2018. Retrieved 20 Apriw 2018. after a grass-roots idea for a peacefuw, wong-wasting protest awong de Gaza fence started gaining widespread support, Hamas brought a hawt to what had been a fairwy steady tempo of rocket waunches into Israew and drew its considerabwe organizationaw might behind de demonstrations.

^ ab'Israew: Apparent War Crimes in Gaza: Accountabiwity Needed for Officiaws Who Audorized Ledaw Force'Archived 13 June 2018 at de Wayback MachineHuman Rights Watch, 13 June 2018: "Human Rights Watch interviewed nine peopwe who witnessed Israewi forces shooting protesters in Gaza on May 14, de day wif de highest toww of deads and injuries so far when more dan 60 peopwe were kiwwed, and anoder who saw a journawist shot and kiwwed on Apriw 6. Seven of dese interviewees not onwy witnessed peopwe being shot, but were awso demsewves shot. The shootings happened at pwaces where protests were hewd near de perimeter fences dat separate de Gaza Strip from Israew, incwuding east of Jabawya, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah. Their accounts, awong wif photographs and videos, show a pattern of Israewi forces shooting peopwe who posed no imminent dreat to wife wif wive ammunition, uh-hah-hah-hah."

^ abc Muhammad Shehada and Jamie Stern-Weiner, Debunking Myds About de Pawestinian Protests:The justifications given for de deads of Pawestinian protesters just don't add up,'Archived 5 Juwy 2018 at de Wayback MachineVice 12 June 2018: 'Inasmuch as Israewi forces were eqwipped wif sophisticated surveiwwance eqwipment, incwuding "footage from drones hovering" overhead, and insofar as Israew cwaimed to use wedaw force onwy against "dose who are wif weapons", de wack of evidence of dese awweged expwosives and wive ammunition is surewy cause for wonder. What "evidence" Israew has provided onwy underwined de absence of a miwitary presence at de demonstrations. Witness, for instance, de images and footage of what Israew termed "grenades" and "improvised expwosive devices", but which were in fact homemade firecrackers, famiwiar to Gazan teenagers who sometimes set dem off at weddings and parties, which make a woud noise and wittwe ewse.'

^Sanger, Andrew (2011). M.N. Schmitt, Louise Arimatsu, Tim McCormack, eds. "The Contemporary Law of Bwockade and de Gaza Freedom Fwotiwwa". Yearbook of Internationaw Humanitarian Law 2010. Springer Science & Business Media. 13: 429. doi:10.1007/978-90-6704-811-8_14. ISBN978-90-6704-811-8. Israew cwaims it no wonger occupies de Gaza Strip, maintaining dat it is neider a Stawe nor a territory occupied or controwwed by Israew, but rader it has 'sui generis' status. Pursuant to de Disengagement Pwan, Israew dismantwed aww miwitary institutions and settwements in Gaza and dere is no wonger a permanent Israewi miwitary or civiwian presence in de territory. However de Pwan awso provided dat Israew wiww guard and monitor de externaw wand perimeter of de Gaza Strip, wiww continue to maintain excwusive audority in Gaza air space, and wiww continue to exercise security activity in de sea off de coast of de Gaza Strip as weww as maintaining an Israewi miwitary presence on de Egyptian-Gaza border. and reserving de right to reenter Gaza at wiww. Israew continues to controw six of Gaza's seven wand crossings, its maritime borders and airspace and de movement of goods and persons in and out of de territory. Egypt controws one of Gaza's wand crossings. Troops from de Israewi Defence Force reguwarwy enter pans of de territory and/or depwoy missiwe attacks, drones and sonic bombs into Gaza. Israew has decwared a no-go buffer zone dat stretches deep into Gaza: if Gazans enter dis zone dey are shot on sight. Gaza is awso dependent on Israew for water, ewectricity, tewecommunications and oder utiwities, currency, issuing IDs, and permits to enter and weave de territory. Israew awso has sowe controw of de Pawestinian Popuwation Registry drough which de Israewi Army reguwates who is cwassified as a Pawestinian and who is a Gazan or West Banker. Since 2000 aside from a wimited number of exceptions Israew has refused to add peopwe to de Pawestinian Popuwation Registry.It is dis direct externaw controw over Gaza and indirect controw over wife widin Gaza dat has wed de United Nations, de UN Generaw Assembwy, de UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza, Internationaw human rights organisations, US Government websites, de UK Foreign and Commonweawf Office and a significant number of wegaw commentators, to reject de argument dat Gaza is no wonger occupied.CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (wink)* Scobbie, Iain (2012). Ewizabef Wiwmshurst, ed. Internationaw Law and de Cwassification of Confwicts. Oxford University Press. p. 295. ISBN978-0-19-965775-9. Even after de accession to power of Hamas, Israew's cwaim dat it no wonger occupies Gaza has not been accepted by UN bodies, most States, nor de majority of academic commentators because of its excwusive controw of its border wif Gaza and crossing points incwuding de effective controw it exerted over de Rafah crossing untiw at weast May 2011, its controw of Gaza's maritime zones and airspace which constitute what Aronson terms de 'security envewope' around Gaza, as weww as its abiwity to intervene forcibwy at wiww in Gaza.

^Gawerc, Michewwe (2012). Prefiguring Peace: Israewi-Pawestinian Peacebuiwding Partnerships. Lexington Books. p. 44. ISBN9780739166109. Whiwe Israew widdrew from de immediate territory, it remained in controw of aww access to and from Gaza drough de border crossings, as weww as drough de coastwine and de airspace. In addition, Gaza was dependent upon Israew for water, ewectricity sewage communication networks and for its trade (Gisha 2007. Dowty 2008). In oder words, whiwe Israew maintained dat its occupation of Gaza ended wif its uniwateraw disengagement Pawestinians – as weww as many human right organizations and internationaw bodies – argued dat Gaza was by aww intents and purposes stiww occupied.

^Hawbfinger, David M. (7 Apriw 2018). "Though Deadwy, Gaza Protests Draw Attention and Endusiasm". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Archived from de originaw on 12 Apriw 2018. Retrieved 11 Apriw 2018. After de second Friday of protests, de Pawestinians appeared unified. Though Hamas effectivewy managed de demonstrations in many ways, dose participating came from de range of Gaza powiticaw factions and for de most part dispwayed onwy one banner – de Pawestinian nationaw fwag.

^Amira HassDie Anyway, So Let It Be in Front of de Cameras': Conversations Wif Gazans,'Haaretz, 20 May 2018: 'The source of de report was an Arabic-wanguage tweet by Avichay Adraee of de IDF Spokesman's Office. He attached to de tweet, a short fragment from de hour-wong-pwus interview wif Bardawiw on de Facebook-transmitted news channew Bawadna. . . Let's return to Bardawiw. So he said dat 50 of de 60 kiwwed were Hamas members. I checked and was towd dat de officiaw figure Hamas has is dat from de beginning of de March of Return on March 30, 42 peopwe winked to Hamas were among de 120 peopwe kiwwed: members of de movement, weww-known activists, members of Hamas famiwies. It seems dat about 20 members of Hamas' miwitary wing were kiwwed, and dey were kiwwed not near de protests but under circumstances dat stiww must be cwarified. But de rest were unarmed rank-and-fiwe protesters. And dey demonstrated because dey were Gazans. But once Bardawiw said what he said it's hard to deny his words in pubwic. "This (figure of 50) is anoder typicaw exaggeration of ours," said my friend who didn't come to wave his fwag to me to say hewwo.'

^7 Pawestinians Kiwwed by Israewi Fire in Gaza Border Cwashes, New York Times, 12 October 2018 qwote: Four of dem were shot dead after dey crossed into Israewi territory and approached an army snipers’ post, de Israewi miwitary and a witness said ... Hamas, de Iswamic miwitant group dat controws Gaza, has been arranging weekwy demonstrations awong de Israewi border for de past six monds to protest de bwockade of de impoverished Pawestinian territory and demand a return to wand in what is now Israew. After attendance and internationaw attention began to wane in recent weeks, Hamas created speciaw units to expand de protests, which dey caww “The Great Return March.”